Can You Print Me Now?
Printing body parts, 'Berg leaves 'Burg
Usually, when a person needs a replacement part, the material comes from another portion of their body and then has to be grafted in place. For example, when someone is born without the outer portion of their ear, doctors will often form one using cartilage from the ribs. Now, for the first time, a woman has received an ear made from her own cells using a 3D printer. "Companies have previously used 3-D printing technology to produce custom-fit prosthetic limbs made of plastic and lightweight metals. But the ear implant, made from a tiny glob of cells harvested from the woman’s misshapen ear, appears to be the first known example of a 3-D printed implant made of living tissues." We're still a ways off from being able to print things like internal organs, but this is a pretty amazing step forward. NYT (Gift Article): Doctors Transplant Ear of Human Cells, Made by 3-D Printer.
+ A Tough Cell: And while we're on the topic of harnessing the power of our own cells, there's this very promising advance. Novel genetic experiment shrinks tough-to-treat cancer. "T cells are key immune soldiers, able to kill off diseased cells -- but too often cancer evades them. Doctors already have learned how to strengthen T cells to fight some types of leukemia and lymphoma. They add an artificial receptor to patients’ T cells so the immune fighters can recognize a marker on the outside of blood cancer cells, and attack. But that CAR-T therapy doesn’t work against more common solid tumors, which don’t carry that same danger marker. The new twist: At Oregon’s Providence Cancer Institute, researcher Eric Tran genetically engineered Wilkes’ T cells so they could spot a mutant protein that’s hidden inside her tumor cells -- and only there, not in healthy cells."
+ Meanwhile, this man gets bitten by deadly snakes in the name of science. "A partnership between an immunologist and a snake-keeping ex-truck mechanic is attempting to find a medicinal holy grail: a universal anti-venom. It's a seriously risky business." (Someone would have to 3D print me a new set of cojones to try this.)
2. Dealer's Choice
"Sandberg’s tenure would always be shadowed by the deal she made with Zuckerberg when she joined. While she reported to Zuckerberg, the then-23-year-old CEO gave her tremendous autonomy over certain parts of the company—the non-product domains that interested him the least. It made sense for Sandberg to take charge of selling ads. But according to The Deal, her world also included communications, lobbying, policy, and other non-engineering areas." As Steven Levy explains in Wired, Meta's famous COO is leaving after 14 years at the company—and so goes a partnership that shaped our world. Sheryl Sandberg and the Death of 'The Deal.' Sandberg was a lot more effusive about her track record than Zuck. From this point, Meta has only one dealer. We'll see how that works out.
3. What's Your 20?
As we approach the 100 day mark of Putin's murderous invasion of Ukraine, we can reflect on the fact that Russia's military has performed poorly and Ukraine has largely stood its ground. But a lot of people are being killed and a lot of cities and towns are being flattened. And, sadly, in war terms, a hundred days could just be the warmup. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says that Russian forces have seized 20% of his country's territory, as Moscow's invasion nears its 100th day.
+ In case you missed yesterday's lead item about the fastest way to really understand what's going on in Putin's war, check it out. Crime and Punishment.
+ AP: Unsparing images from Ukraine show war at the 100-day mark.
+ NYT: Ukraine’s players have not shied away from what earning a place in the World Cup would mean to their country. After beating Scotland, they’re one win away.
4. Green Noise
"To date, the major podcast networks have yet to pile into the field, leaving independent creators to serve the growing market. Curiously, at time when most podcasters clamor for public attention, the white noise podcast creators remain a relatively tight-lipped group. Requests to speak with multiple shows, even those with a contact form, were declined or went unanswered. In one case, the name of a website’s owner was hidden— its host was listed, improbably, as 'Earth.'" Bloomberg: Spotify Podcasters Are Making $18,000 a Month With Nothing But White Noise. (I'll hold a shell up to your ear for half that...)
5. Extra, Extra
Grab and Go: "Michael Louis was armed with a rifle, which he had purchased at 2 p.m. Wednesday, and a handgun when he went to St. Francis Hospital shortly before 5 p.m." Tulsa gunman bought AR-15-style rifle hours before using it to kill his former doctor, 3 others. (If we weren't all focused on mass killings right now, this would have been just one of many shootings you'd never have heard about...) Plus, We’ve Known How To Prevent A School Shooting for More Than 20 Years.
+ Monarch de Triomphe: After seven decades on the throne, the Queen threw a jubilee. Here are some photos from The Guardian and InFocus. And I was today years old when I learned that four-year-old Prince Louis and I have the same reaction to news about the Royals.
+ Hindsight is 2020: Here's a little Where are they now for 2020 news. Harvey Weinstein’s sex crimes convictions upheld in New York. And Michael Avenatti sentenced to 4 years for stealing nearly $300K from Stormy Daniels. We're still experiencing a lot of aftershocks, but 2020 was the earthquake that reshaped America. So why not score a 5-star reviewed book on the topic!? Please Scream Inside Your Heart: Breaking News and Nervous Breakdowns in the Year that Wouldn't End.
+ The Devolution Will Be Televised: "The two most crucial strikes against Heard may have been that Azcarate permitted cameras in the courtroom and did not sequester the jury—a perfect one-two for Depp’s online brand of asymmetrical warfare. Trials are not often live-streamed in Virginia; that one centered on allegations of domestic abuse, including sexual assault, was televised is downright shocking." The New Yorker: The Johnny Depp–Amber Heard Verdict Is Chilling. (Heard plans to appeal. So those who were addicted to watching the trial can look forward to a sequel.)
+ Give Us a Break: "CNN's new boss Chris Licht says that beginning today, CNN has added a "Breaking News” guideline to its stylebook, to address overuse of the breaking news banner across its network and cable news writ-large." (Pro tip: Drop the breaking news banner and the news ticker altogether. If cable news actually covered the news, they wouldn't need either.)
+ The Game is Rigged: "I didn’t anticipate the complete collapse of truth, the idea of you can just boldly lie your way to the top. I did not anticipate the political collapse of the country in terms of [Donald] Trump. [The fictitious Baltimore mayor in 'The Wire,' Tommy Carcetti] is a professional politician. Donald Trump is sui generis. It’s hard to even get your head around just how debased the political culture is now because of Trump." NYT: ‘The Wire’ at 20: ‘This Show Will Live Forever.' "David Simon and Ed Burns discuss the legacy of their seminal crime drama, and why the systemic decay it depicted has become only more profound." (Omar: "I Got The Shotgun. You Got The Briefcase. It’s All In The Game, Though, Right?")
6. Bottom of the News
"Researchers have suggested that while people who have little difficulty making decisions are more confident in their choices, they are no more accurate than those who feel more torn." Decisive people no more accurate than self-doubters. (It took me a half hour to decide whether or not to include this story.)
+ New Shirt Alert: Don't miss the new (and maybe best) NextDraft shirt yet.
+ "Despite earning close to $400m in salary during his NBA career with the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, James’ off-court earnings far eclipse that. Forbes estimated James, 37, has brought in more than $900m from business investments and endorsements." LeBron is a billionaire. (Steph is in the finals.)